Aerosol spray nozzle



May 2, 1967 J. J. SMITH AEROSOL SPRAY NOZZLE Filed Nov. 12, 1964 INVENTOR. /0///|/ L/6M/77/ j 7 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,317,140 AEROSOL SPRAY NOZZLE John J. Smith, 1429 N. Bronson Ave.,

Hollywood, Calif. 90028 Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,550 9 Claims. (Cl. 239-107) This invention relates to improvements in aerosol spray nozzles and more particularly relates to such nozzles adapted to spray paint and other materials which harden upon exposure to air.

Paint is commonly packaged in aerosol cans and sprayed from the can. Aerosol spray paint cans have been found to be practical for applying paint to surfaces where the entire can is used up in one spraying operation, or where a series of spraying operations are close enough together to avoid the hardening of the paint in the orifice of the nozzle. Frequently only part of the can will be used. The can will then be put away with no effort to clear the nozzle of paint. The paint in the nozzle will then dry, with the result that the spray paint can will be useless for further spraying, since the nozzles cannot satisfactorily be freed from hardened paint.

Also many times the spray valve will be momentarily accidentally pressed in the store, with the result that paint will harden in the nozzle opening, rendering the new paint can useless for spraying paint.

A principal object of the present invention is to remedy the foregoing deficiencies in aerosol paint spray cans by providing a nozzle so construed that the nozzle openings may be made readily accessible for cleaning.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved form of nozzle for aerosol paint spray cans in which the nozzle orifice is formed by two mating parts, one of which is readily removable from the other to accommodate ready cleaning of the orifice.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved nozzle for aerosol paint spray cans and the like, in which a nozzle body is mounted on the spray tube of an aerosol can and has a passageway leading therethrough opening to the top of the body of the nozzle, and a half round groove extending from the passageway and opening through the wall of the body, in which a cap is snapped to the body in registered relation with respect thereto, to complete the half round passageway, for ready removal, to enable the nozzle passageways to easily be cleaned. i

A still further object of the invention is to provide a two part spray nozzle for aerosol paint cans and the like, in which the two parts of the spray nozzle cooperate to provide a spray orifice and have interen gaging aligning means for maintaining the spray orifices when the parts are connected, and having a snap connection between the parts, to maintain the parts in connected relation with respect to each other.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 7

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of an aerosol spray paint can showing a nozzle constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the body of the nozzle shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the cap for the nozzle, looking at the cap from the bottom thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the nozzle shown in FIGURE 1 showing the parts of the nozzle in vertical section; a

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken through the nozzle shown in FIGURE 1, along the orifice of the nozzle;

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FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the nozzle shown in FIGURE 1 through the locating pins and recesses of the nozzle body and cap; and

FIGURE 7 is an end view of a nozzle like that shown in FIGURE 1 and illustrating a modified form in which the invention may be embodied.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, I have shown in FIGURE 1 a conventional form of aerosol spray paint can 10 having a conventional valve therein (not shown), operated by depression of a nozzle 11 to effect ther atomizing and spraying of paint through said nozzle.

The aerosol can 10 as shown in FIGURE 1 has a tube 12 in communication with the aerosol valve and extending upwardly therefrom, on which is mounted the spray nozzle 11. As shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, the tube 12 extends upwardly within a body 13 for the nozzle and has communication with a passageway 15 opening to a top face 16 of the nozzle body 13.

The nozzle body 13 is shown as having a lower flange 17 with a cylindrical wall portion 19 spaced inwardly of said flange and having a recessed forward end portion 20, opening to the front of the nozzle body. The nozzle body 13 also has a groove 21 extending about the cylindrical wall thereof and adapted to be engaged by a corresponding rib 22 extending inwardly of a skirt 23 depending from a cap 25.

Opening to the top surface 16 of the nozzle body 13 and in communication with the passageway 15 is a transversely extending half round passageway 26 converg ing to a reduced area orifice 27 opening through the recessed portion 20 of the nozzle body. A land 29 is shown as extending along and about the half round passageway 26, and the reduced cross sectional area orifice 27 thereof.

The cap 25 has a generally cylindrical wall portion 30 from which the skirt 23 depends and also has a recessed front face 31 conforming to the recessed portion 20 of the nozzle body and forming an arcuate continuation thereof. A flange 32 extends outwardly of the cylindrical wall portion 30 and about the top of the cap 25 to provide a means for gripping the cap when it is desired to separate the cap 25 from the body 13.

Inwardly of the skirt 23 is a downwardly facing fiat surface 33, having a half round passageway 35 conforming to the half round passageway 26 formed in the body 13. The half round passageway 35 is adapted to register with and complete the passageway 26 and tapers toward the recessed portion 31 to complete the orifice 27 opening through the front of the nozzle.

The half round passageways 26 and 35 are registered by pins 36, 36 projecting upwardly from the top face 16 of the nozzlebody 13 and registering with apertures 37, 37 extending upwardly into the cap 25. The pins 36 and apertures 37 thus assure correct registry of the cap 25 with the body 13 to provide the orifice 27 opening through the recessed front faces 20 and 31 of the cap and body.

The nozzle 11 may be made of a plastic material. The plastic material may be any suitable plastic material which will not be affected by terpentine or lacquer thinners. Such materials have been commonly used in the va-lving, piping and nozzles of aerosol spray paint cans and are no part of the present invention so need not herein be described further. The nozzle, of course, may be made from metal if desired.

The material from which the cap 25 is made gives the skirt 23 sufficient resiliency to positively retain the cap to the 'body 13, without the necessity of using separate retainer means for the cap. As the cap is moved down wardly along the body by pressingron the top thereof by the finger, the skirt 23 will spring outwardly as the rib 22 engages the cylindrical wall portion of the nozzle body and will then snap inwardly into registry with the groove 21, to positively retain the cap 25 to the body 13.

In removing the cap for cleaning of the half round passageways 26 and 35 and the orifice 27, as well as the passageway 15, it is merely necessary to grip the flange 32 with the fingers and exert a pulling action on the cap to move the bead or rib 22 out of the groove 21. All parts of the passageways and orifice are then exposed for ready cleaning so the paint or other material may readily be cleaned.

In replacing the cap 25 on the body 13, the body itself is grasped, preferably about the flange 17 to prevent opening of the aerosol valve. The apertures 37 are then aligned with the pins 36 and the cap is snapped into position on the nozzle body to complete the half round passageway 26' and the orifice 27.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 7, I have shown a nozzle 11 like the nozzle shown in FIGURES 1 to 6, except the nozzle is adapted for attachment to certain other forms of aerosol paint spray cans than the form of nozzle shown in FIGURE 1. The same part numbers will be applied to the same parts of the nozzle in FIGURE 7, as were applied to the nozzle of FIGURES 1 through 6. As shown in FIGURE 7 the body 13 of the nozzle has a base 39 defined by the undersurface of the flange 17 and having an integrally formed downwardly opening fitting 40- leading downwardly therefrom for attachment to an aerosol spray valve outlet. The fitting 40 has a passageway 41 leading therealong in communication with the orifice 27 through the passageway 26 and the mating half round passageway 35. Since the orifice cap and nozzle construction is the same as the nozzle construction shown in FIGURES 1 through 6, the nozzle of FIGURE 7 need not herein be shown or described further.

As downward pressure of the finger is placed on the top of the cap 25, the land 29 will be pressurized and slightly compressed to make a tight seal between the half round passageways 26 and 35 and prevent the leakage of paint or other material at the juncture of said half round passageways. A pressure of substantially five pounds on the cap is required to operate the aerosol valve. This pressure is adequate to provide a seal between the bottom surface of the cap 25 and the land 29. The seal is thus made between the land and cap as pressure is applied to the top of the cap. It should be understood, however, that while I have shown the land 29 extending about the half round passageway 26, that the pressure on the cap in many cases will maintain an adequate seal without the land, and that the land need not necessarily be used.

It will also be understood that while I have shown a half round passageway 35 opening from the bottom of the cap 25, that the bottom of the cap may be flat and provide an effective seal for the half round passageway 26 and the orifice 27. The half round passageway 35, however, gives a better flow of paint and allows a greater volume of atomized paint to be discharged through the orifice 27, than if the bottom of the cap 33 were flat.

It may further be understood that the nozzle may readily be removed from one paint can by a simple twisting action and replaced on another paint can, and that one nozzle may serve as the nozzle for any number of paint cans desired.

While I have herein shown and described several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. An aerosol spray nozzle adapted for spraying paint and like materials hardening upon exposure to the atmosphere, comprising:

a nozzle body having a spray passageway extending vertically therealong and opening ot the top thereof,

a groove in communication with said spray passageway opening to the top and a front wall of said nozzle body,

a separable cap detachably mounted on said nozzle body for completing the groove in said nozzle body, and

interengaging means registering said cap with said nozzle body and maintaining said cap in position to complete said groove in said nozzle body to open to the front wall thereof.

2. An aerosol spray nozzle in accordance with claim 1,

wherein said cap has a bottom surface having a groove extending therealong for registry with said groove in said nozzle body,

wherein said cap has a skirt extending downwardly of the bottom surface thereof partially about and conforming to said nozzle body, and

wherein said skirt has an inwardly facing rib extending thereabout for snapping engagement with said nozzle body, to retain said cap thereto.

3. An aerosol spray nozzle adapted for spraying paint and like materials hardening upon exposure to the atmosphere, comprising:

a nozzle body having a spray passageway extending vertically therealong and opening to the top thereof,

a transverse groove in communication with said spray passageway extending along the top thereof and opening to the top and a front wall thereof,

a cap detacha-bly mounted on said nozzle body and having a bottom surface having a groove extending transversely thereof, completing the groove in said nozzle body, and

pin and aperture registering connections between said nozzle body and said cap, maintaining said grooves in registry with each other upon the placing of said cap on said body.

4. An aerosol spray nozzle adapted for spraying paint and like materials hardening upon exposure to air, comprising:

a nozzle body having a spray passageway leading upwardly through the center of said body and opening to the top thereof,

a half round transverse groove in the top of said body in communication with said spray passageway and opening through a front wall of said body,

said body [having a groove extending thereabout beneath the top thereof,

a cap having a bottom surface having a transverse groove recessed therein completing the groove in the top surface of said nozzle body,

pin and aperture registering connections between said nozzle body and said cap to register said grooves with each other and form a generally cylindrical passageway,

said cap having a skirt extending downwardly from the bottom thereof and having an inwardly extending rib snapped into engagement with said groove upon pressing said cap downwardly on said body, to detachably retain said cap to said body.

5. An aerosol spray nozzle adapted for spraying paint andlike materials hardening upon exposure to air, comprising:

A nozzle body adapted for mounting on an aerosol spray can to form a nozzle therefor and having a generally cylindrical wall portion recessed at one side thereof toward the top of said body,

a passageway extending vertically through said body and opening through the top thereof and adapted to have communication with the spray passageway of an aresol spray can,

a half round groove extending transversely along the top of said body in communication with said passageway and opening through said recessed portion to form a portion of an orifice,

a cap adapted to be snapped on said body and having a flat bottom surface having a half round groove registrable with said groove in said body and cooperating therewith to form a generally cylindrical orifice opening through said recessed portion,

and pin and aperture means on said body and cap registrable to maintain said half round grooves in registry with each other upon the placing of said cap on said body.

6. An aerosol spray nozzle in accordance with claim 5 wherein the half round grooves in said body and cap converge toward the recessed portion of said body and provide a restricted spray orifice of lesser cross sectional area than the combined cross sectional areas of said half round grooves.

7. An aerosol spray nozzle in accordance with claim 5 wherein a skirt extends downwardly of said cap and has an inwardly facing rib extending thereabout for snapping engagement with said nozzle body, to retain said cap thereto.

8. A cleanable nozzle for spraying paint and other materials hardening upon exposure to air comprising:

i a nozzle body having a generally cylindrical wall having a groove extending thereabout beneath the bottom thereof and having an inwardly dished portion extending inwardly from said wall to the top of said body,

a passageway extending upwardly through said body coaxial with the axis about which said wall is struck and opening to the top of said body,

a half round transversely extending groove in the top of said body having communication with said passageway and tapering as it approaches said recessed portion into a half round orifice,

a cap extending over the top of said body and having a fiat bottom,

a cylindrical wall,

a skirt depending from said cylindrical wall and having an inwardly extending rib adapted to be snapped into said groove upon pressing said cap downwardly onto said nozzle body, 'and having an inwardly dished portion, dished inwardly from said wall to said bottom, said bottom having a half round groove formed therein and extending transversely thereof registering with the half round groove in said body and tapering at its end adjacent said inwardly dished portion of said cap to a half round orifice registrable with the half round orifice in said body,

and registering pin and aperture connections between said body and said cap registering said half round grooves with each other to form a transverse spray passageway terminating into a reduced diameter orifice opening through said inwardly dished portion of said cap and body.

9. A cleanable nozzle in accordance with claim 8 wherein a land extends about said half round groove and orifice in the top of said 'body and is sealed to said half round groove in the bottom of said cap by the pressure of. the finger on said cap to effect an aerosol spraying operation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,173,613 3/1965 Smith 239-107 FOREIGN PATENTS 296,943 3/ 1954 Switzerland.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AEROSOL SPRAY NOZZLE ADAPTED FOR SPRAYING PAINT AND LIKE MATERIALS HARDENING UPON EXPOSURE TO THE ATMOSPHERE, COMPRISING: A NOZZLE BODY HAVING A SPRAY PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING VERTICALLY THEREALONG AND OPENING AT THE TOP THEREOF, A GROOVE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SPRAY PASSAGEWAY OPENING TO THE TOP AND A FRONT WALL OF SAID NOZZLE BODY, A SEPARABLE CAP DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON SAID NOZZLE BODY FOR COMPLETING THE GROOVE IN SAID NOZZLE BODY, AND INTERENGAGING MEANS REGISTERING SAID CAP WITH SAID NOZZLE BODY AND MAINTAINING SAID CAP IN POSITION TO COMPLETE SAID GROOVE IN SAID NOZZLE BODY TO OPEN TO THE FRONT WALL THEREOF. 